TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — As 2025 comes to a close, Blueprint IA is making progress on its current projects in northeast Tallahassee and is looking forward to a busy 2026, as 16 projects will be under construction in 2026.
- These projects are currently under construction in the northeast: Market District Placemaking, Northeast Park, Northeast Gateway, and Bannerman Road.
- The agency expects no road closures or other impacts in 2026 as more projects are constructed.
- Watch the video below to hear what crews specifically have worked on this year.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The new year will bring more construction— I'm Brieanna Smith, your NE Tallahassee neighborhood reporter. I'm checking out the progress crews have made at projects all across the northeast over the course of a year.
The Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency is marking 2025 a year of progress with 16 projects set for construction in 2026.
Four of those projects are in northeast Tallahassee.
Market District Placemaking
Construction of the Market District Placemaking or Park Project is on its way to completion in 2027.
This year, crews worked on the park’s pickleball courts, restrooms, and a covered pavilion area.
Northeast Park
On Centerville Road, this aerial view from contractor JBE Sitework shows a cleared space for the Northeast Park.
Outlines for baseball fields, a multi-purpose field, and field lighting is already going up.
It should be complete by summer 2027.
Northeast Gateway
The Northeast Gateway is also hitting milestones as it's now visible from I-10.
New sidewalks, stormwater retention pond,s and a multi-use path should wrap by November 2026.
Pre-work has started on the overpass bridge, which will be done in summer 2027.
Bannerman Road
The Bannerman Road Widening Project is in the land acquisition phase.
While major road work starts in 2027, crews have already installed a new sidewalk on Bull Headley Road.
Next year, they’ll be adding a turn lane at the Bannerman Road intersection.
“In 2026, Blueprint will have 16 projects actively in construction. That's a ton of work in our community, and it's a huge economic driver for providing jobs, construction industry jobs,” Blueprint Director Autumn Calder said.
Though in May, commissioners were concerned about prices.
Estimated costs for Bannerman Road and the Northeast Gateway jumped by at least $60 million dollars from September 2024 to May 2025.
Calder says the prices remain the same but could change depending on the market.
“If there are market forces such as labor, tariffs, materials supply rates, things like that, that can really impact the cost of a project, contractor availability that can also impact the cost of the project,” she said.
A statement from Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch says he’s committed to finishing the projects with as little disruption as possible and that projects in the area are moving forward ahead of schedule.
Read the full statement below:
The Blueprint Projects in NE Tallahassee are moving forward ahead of schedule.
The NE Park and Market District park should both be completed in the next 12-16 months and Welaunee Blvd. and Bannerman Road widening are progressing well, with clear signs of activity at both sites.
We are committed to stewarding these projects through to completion as quickly as possible, with as little disruption as possible.
We encourage neighbors to reach out to us or follow our social media @CommishWelch to get the latest updates on everything happening in Leon County.
Calder says there are no anticipated road closures in 2026 for these projects.
Commissioner Welch encourages neighbors to follow his social media pages for real-time updates.
In NE Tallahassee, Brieanna Smith, ABC 27.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
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